While reading a friend’s blog posts the other day, I came across this quote—“In the night, I am kept awake by the endless chatter of my inner self. I hear it speak softly of old hurts and fondly of past loves, while its demands and anxieties resound throughout me in multitudes. I could be calm and composed all day long, but the moment it is dark, my mind riots.” ~ Beau Taplin
Honestly, until today I’d never heard of Taplin, but let’s go down this rabbit hole anyway. I believe Taplin captures a universal tension that writers often explore: the difference between the self we present to the world and the self that emerges in solitude. During the day, responsibilities, routines, and social interactions provide structure and distraction. At night, however, silence removes those buffers, allowing memory, regret, longing, and anxiety to speak with greater force.
The writer personifies the mind as an independent presence—an “inner self” whose voice cannot be silenced. Notice how the passage moves from gentle reflection to disorder. It begins with the mind speaking “softly of old hurts and fondly of past loves,” suggesting nostalgia and contemplation. Yet those quiet recollections soon give way to “demands and anxieties” that “resound throughout me in multitudes.” What starts as remembrance becomes a flood of competing thoughts.
The most striking image is the contrast between outward composure and inward chaos. The speaker can remain “calm and composed all day long,” implying control, discipline, and emotional restraint. Darkness, however, becomes a catalyst for rebellion. The final phrase, “my mind riots,” transforms private thoughts into a violent uprising. The choice of the word riots suggests that suppressed emotions do not simply return; they overwhelm, challenge, and disrupt the order the writer maintains during waking hours.
From a writing perspective, this quote succeeds because it turns an abstract experience—overthinking at night—into vivid imagery. Rather than merely stating, “I cannot sleep because I worry,” the author paints a vivid picture where memories whisper, anxieties echo, and the mind revolts. This figurative language invites readers to recognize their own sleepless moments within the writer’s experience.
In hindsight, this passage suggests that nighttime is not merely a setting but a state of exposure. In darkness, the distractions of the day fade, leaving individuals alone with unresolved emotions and unfinished conversations with themselves. The quote reminds us that some of our deepest struggles are not fought in public but in the quiet hours when the mind, no longer occupied by the world, turns its full attention inward.
Do you think this is where writers create?
Thank you so much for your continued readership and support—until next week…Be and stay blessed!
Special thanks to my friend DAP, who inspired this piece. Make sure you stop by their beautiful website. It will inspire— especially for us writers! His site is truly one of a thankful heart.
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